Polish Air Force Comes to Israel for First Exercise with IAF

The Polish Air Force arrived for a joint session with the IAF, including aerial battles with Israeli jet fighters and simulation squadrons.

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Elad Benari, 15/03/12 04:15

IAF Aircraft

Israel news photo: Flash 90

Air forces from around the world are arriving to practice with the IAF and this week, the Polish Air Force arrived for a joint training session.

The Commander of the Polish Air Force, General Lech Majewski, told the IAF website in a special interview, “You have excellent combat planes. But the most important aspect is the Israeli Air Force's experience.”

Majewski added, “We're very grateful to the IAF for sharing its experience. This is one of the best exercises we've been a part of: We've participated in practices in various countries, but Israel's level is particularly high, with regard to the pilots, the planes and the exercises as well. Although our methods and planes are similar, in every exercise the small details are very important".

The IAF website reported that throughout the weeklong joint exercise, Polish F-16 squadrons engage in aerial battles against the IAF's enemy simulation squadron, "The Flying Dragon", along with F-15 and F-16 squadrons.

The topographical conditions in Poland, as in other European countries, don't allow the Polish Air Force to fly in low altitudes and practice freely. The exercise in Israel, on the other hand, allows them a particularly wide range of practice options. The IAF also has much to gain from the cooperation.

“We learn from every foreign air force that belongs from NATO and arrives here,” the Deputy Commander of the Flying Dragon Squadron, Major Roy, told the IAF website. “We study the operational methods in NATO and the international ways of flying, particularly in terms of coordination among planes, international codes and combat doctrines that are based on situations in which not all planes depart from the same country. In fact, we learn about international coordination.”

General Majewsky added that part of the cooperation's purpose was to learn about the IAF's tactics, the various briefings and debriefings, and about the mentality in general.

“I hope that we have additional joint exercises in the future,” he said. “We invite you to Poland, perhaps even next year.”